NIH Diversity Supplements

Purpose

Part of the mission of Wake Forest University School of Medicine is to promote diversity amongst our students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has provided funding opportunities through Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-23-189) to encourage this diversity.

These supplements support individuals from underrepresented groups in science, including racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. They provide financial support to existing NIH-funded research projects to enable the inclusion of these individuals in research training and career development.

NIH diversity supplements are a type of funding aimed at enhancing the diversity of the research workforce. The goal is to encourage the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups in research careers by providing them with the opportunity to gain research experience under the mentorship of established researchers.

Eligibility

Applicants must be part of an NIH-funded project and meet one or more of the following criteria:

Inclusion Criteria for Race and Ethnicity

Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the NSF to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis (see data and the report). The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research:

Blacks or African Americans,
Hispanics or Latinos
American Indians
Alaska Natives
Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders

In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program. For more information on racial and ethnic categories and definitions, see the OMB Revisions to the Standards for Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.

Inclusion Criteria for Disability Status

Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.

Inclusion Criteria for Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:

Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families;
Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years;
Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor's degree;
Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants;
Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child
Grew up in one of the following areas:

a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zip codes are included in the file).

Inclusion Criteria for Women in Underrepresented Groups

Literature shows that women from the above backgrounds (categories A, B, and C) face particular challenges at the graduate level and beyond in scientific fields. (See, e.g., From the NIH: A Systems Approach to Increasing the Diversity of Biomedical Research Workforce).

Women have been shown to be underrepresented in doctorate-granting research institutions at senior faculty levels in most biomedical-relevant disciplines, and may also be underrepresented at other faculty levels in some scientific disciplines (See data from the National Science Foundation National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, special report, especially Table 9-23, describing science, engineering, and health doctorate holders employed in universities and 4-year colleges, by broad occupation, sex, years since doctorate, and faculty rank).

Upon review of NSF data, and scientific discipline or field related data, NIH encourages institutions to consider women for faculty-level, diversity-targeted programs to address faculty recruitment, appointment, retention or advancement.

The NIH invites applicants from various career levels including:

High School Students
Undergraduate Students
Baccalaureate and Master’s Degree Holders
Graduate (Predoctoral) and Health Professional Students
Individuals in Postdoctoral Training
Investigators Developing Independent Research Careers

Additional Information

Clinical Trials are not allowed.
Non-competing Administrative Supplement application types are allowed.
The supplement can provide support for a range of activities, including salary, research supplies, and training costs. It is designed to complement the existing NIH grant and cannot be a stand-alone grant.
At the time of a supplemental award, the parent award must have support remaining for a reasonable period (usually two years or more).
Principal Investigators are invited to apply who hold an active award for all activity codes. Please note that grant mechanisms eligible for diversity supplements vary by institute. See NIH Table IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts for more details.

Application Process

Eligible applicants should submit the Intent to Submit Research Supplement Application along with an NIH-style biosketch.

Identified Grant and Principal Investigator

If the grant and Principal Investigator are already identified, the CTSI will assist the applicant and Principal Investigator to prepare and submit the diversity supplement. Refer to the NIH Table IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts for guidelines relating to the Institution or Center funding the parent grant.

Unidentified Grant and Principal Investigator

If the grant and Principal Investigator are not identified, the CTSI will assist the applicant to identify possible grants that a diversity supplement can be added to.

The CTSI will meet with the applicant and a CTSI faculty representative to discuss their proposal and facilitate connections with possible collaborators.
Once a parent grant has been identified, the CTSI will work with the applicant and Principal Investigator to prepare and submit the diversity supplement.

Post Submission of Diversity Supplement

After the diversity supplement has been submitted, the CTSI will track the funding status, and disclosure of 1) how results will be implemented and/or disseminated; 2) applications for extramural funding beyond the supplement; 3) what subsequent notification of funds occurred; and 4) related publications or significant collaborations resulted from the project, for a minimum of 4 years after completion of the award.

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